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Laxey Wheel |
Set upon the hills near the village Laxey rests a giant. Lady Isabella named after former Lieutenant Governor Hope's wife is also know as the Laxey Wheel. Built in 1854 by Robert Casement, a Laxey native and talented engineer. The Laxey Wheel remains the largest working waterwheel in the world. The wheel has a diameter of 72ft and a circumference of 227ft. It was used to pump 250 gallons of water a minute from the Laxey mines some 200 yards away and 1500ft below ground. The mines employed over 600 miners at its peak producing lead, copper, silver and zinc till the mines closed in 1929. In 1965 the government bought the wheel and site. Restoration occurred and in 1989 it was put under the control of Manx National Heritage. Tourists had long come to see the wheel, even when the mines were still in use and they continue to come to this day.
Website: Laxey Wheel
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Snaefell Mountain Railway |
Started in 1895, the Snaefell Mountain Railway took just seven months to complete. Running a total of four miles from the village of Laxey to the top of the island's highest mountain, Snaefell at 2,036ft. The electric Snaefell Mountain Railway is the only one in the British Isles. The line is 3 1/2ft gauge covering 5 miles with a steep incline of 1 in 12 running on a 53 chain line. It has a centre line to aid braking.
Website: Snaefell Mountain Railway
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Steam Railway |
Only one line of a once vast Steam Railway system remains on the Isle of Man. Originally built in the late 1800's the 3 feet track gauge lines covered about fifty miles. Now only the southern line, operating since 1874 continues. It covers around 15 miles from Douglas to Port Erin. Saved by the Marquis of Ailsa, who bravely funded the continuation of the line after competition from other forms of transport threaten the line with closure in the 1960's. The line was taken over by the Manx Government in the 1970's to run as a tourist attraction. The Southern Steam Railway line still runs as the longest narrow gauge steam line in British Isles. The trains date from 1874 and are maintained largely by local workshops and smithy.
Website: Steam Railway
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Castletown |
Castletown sits on the site of an ancient volcano. The town was the capital of the island for hundreds of years. The government was run from within it before moving to Douglas and much of what the island is today started in this historical town.
Tracing its origins back to 1090, Castletown holds true as one of the oldest towns in the British Isles. Its narrow streets and small fishing cottages prove this ancient past at every corner. The medieval Castle Rushen, once the home of kings and later government, still dominates the centre of town.
Fishing boats continue to fill the harbour, though Castletown saw the end of major commercial traffic to its port in the 1970's. The on going expansion of financial and industrial businesses in the area keep Castletown on the map as an important island town.
Website: Castletown
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Douglas |
Welcome to Douglas, situated on the east coast of the Isle of Man. Douglas has been the island's capital since 1863 and holds most of the island action. Its beautiful sea front is lined with picturesque hotels and restaurants. The shopping high street is filled with familiar names like Boots, Marks & Spencer, Next, etc, as well as many locally owned stores. Parking is available on the sea front or in various car parks around the town.
Tourists staying in Douglas should think about where they want to be. There are two sides to the hotel market. The south side is close to town, steam railway, buses and sea terminal. The north side leaves behind the noise of town and is closer to the Manx Electric Railway. From spring to early autumn the Horse Drawn Trams run along the front. This can make a big difference for those without cars, who wish to get along the 2 mile long promenade. Buses and Taxis are also available.
Website: Douglas
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Ballasalla |
Ballasalla holds close ties with Castletown and is still remembered for monks and strawberries with cream. The village named from Gaelic meaning 'Place of the Willow Trees' was mainly built from the ruins of Rushen Abbey. A medieval Cistercian founded in the 1100's and dissolved in the 1500's.
This small village is close to Ronaldsway Airport, built between Ballasalla and Castletown. Named after the medieval King Reginald of Mann by the Norse who called the location 'The Port of Reginald', Ronaldsway.
Website: Ballasalla
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Cregneash. |
Cregneash is an isolated village set on the Mull Hills above Spanish Head. Until the start of the 1900's, the village had not been effected by technology. It was one of the last places to hear a native Manx Speaker. Eager to preserve the Manx traditions the small village was acquired over time by the Manx National Heritage to be made into an living museum. The first acquisition was Harry Kelly's cottage which opened to the public in 1938. Since then many more sites within the village and surrounding area have been added to the museum.
Much of Cregneash village is part of the Living Museum, but there are still a few homes with villagers living modern village life. The village church holds normal services on a Sunday and the tea rooms offer refreshment to locals as well as visitors. Cregneash is a village alive with history and holding a promising future.
Website: Cregneash.
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Peel |
Peel sits on the west coast of the island, is the only city on the Isle of Man, and has the island's cathedral. It is here visitors will find a variety of interests, including a large ruin castle from 1392. Fishing has a long history in Peel as it once was the island's main fishing port. To this day the harbour can be seen filled with boats of the fishing trade. It is here that Herring is cured to make the famous Manx kippers.
Known as Manx town of the Island, Peel, offers many local shops and restaurants. There is an old style feel to the place with many narrow streets and small houses near the coast. There is a pleasant beach and promenade, which is nicely sheltered by hills and St Patrick's Isle. In the evening a stunning sunset can be seen, which is why Peel is also known as the Sunset City.
Website: Peel
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Ramsey |
Ramsey, capital of the north, is the main town in the north and is known as the island's agriculture town. Named by the Norse as 'Wild Garlic River' due to settlements nearby where wild garlic grows in abundance. In the past its harbours saw the shipping of livestock and seed, but that was not all its harbour here saw. It also saw the start of many invasions upon its shores. Most notable in 1079 with King Orry and then in 1313 with Robert the Bruce. Being the most convenient harbour to England, Scotland, Ireland and Scandinavia, Ramsey saw a fair few armies just passing through on their way to somewhere else.
In 1865, Ramsey became a town and at that time was at the forefront of ship building, being the first shipyard to build an oil tanker known as 'The Jane'. Within the same year Ramsey shipyard also built the Euterpe or 'Star of India', which today moors at a floating museum in San Diego.
The town is also known as Royal Ramsey, due to a couple of royal visits. One in 1847, by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and later in 1907 by King Edward VII and Queen Alaxandra.
Website: Ramsey
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Manx Electric railway |
Messrs. Bruce and Saunderson were behind the construction of the 3 feet track gauge railway, which first opened in 1893. The original line ran from Douglas to Laxey and in 1899 the line was extended to include Ramsey. The Manx Electric Railway holds to being the longest narrow gauge vintage railway in the British Isles. Over seventeen miles of line border the coastline between Douglas and Ramsey. All the operational trams are original, with the newest dating back as far as 1906. Trams 1 and 2 are the oldest dating back to 1893 earning them a place in the record books as the oldest regularly operated tram cars in the world. Sadly many trams were destroyed by a fire in 1930 at Laxey Depot.
The Isle of Man Tramways and Electric Power Co collapsed in 1900 following an expensive expansion programme, but by 1902 a new company with mainland funding had taken over and the Manx Electric Railway ran on till it was bought by the Manx Government in the early 1950's. Times were changing though and by the mid 1960's decline of tourism hit the railways. The mid 1970's almost saw the closure of the line, but opposition kept the trams running.
The Manx Electric Railway started out as public transport mainly for tourists, but also saw its lines used for the transportation of goods and animals. It became a part of island transport which managed to stand the tests of time and progress.
Website: Manx Electric railway
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TT-2010 |
There is nothing on Earth quite like the Isle of Man TT Races. No other motorcycle race is held on such a challenging track as the 37-mile plus Mountain Course with its seemingly never-ending series of bends, bumps, jumps, stone walls, manhole covers and telegraph poles.
The skill, bravery and concentration levels required are immense, with speeds approaching 200mph, and, while difficult to learn and even harder to come first, the rewards for winning on the world famous course are like no other.
No other motorsport event can boast more than 100 years of such illustrious history, rich in tradition and legends, and to have your name inscribed on a TT trophy is to sit with the gods.
TT racing captures the imagination in a way no other race can and its sheer spectacle and uniqueness ensures thousands of fans flock to the Island every May and June for their annual fix.
No other motorsport event attracts people in great numbers for an entire period of two weeks except the world famous TT Races, where fans can revel in the Island’s special mix of incredible racing and world class entertainment – and all set amongst the beautiful scenery of the Isle of Man.
Here you can find everything you need to know to experience the Isle of Man TT for yourself, whether you are spectating, racing or supporting the event in another way.
Website: TT-2010
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